About Us

Leiden-Delft-Erasmus-East Africa Research Network – Fostering collaboration for Impactful Urban Research
Our mission

To foster Co-production of Actionable, Practical, and Transformative Urban Research in Africa through Interdisciplinary Partnerships Among Various Urban Actors.

Welcome to the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus-East Africa Research Network (LEARN), a international multidisciplinary community committed to fostering collaboration and driving impactful research on urban issues. At LEARN, we believe that research thrives on collaboration, bringing together academics, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society organizations drawn from Europe and Eastern Africa.

The network aims to strengthen interactions between science, policy, and society to co-create knowledge that is contextually relevant, evidence-based, and transformative, providing effective solutions for addressing pressing urban development challenges in Africa. It also seeks to contribute to theoretical underpinnings of urban research in Africa and the global contexts. Accordingly, LEARN serves as a knowledge co-production platform, enabling continuous open learning, collaborative research partnerships among diverse actors, and collective action for transformative urban development in Africa and beyond.

Research Areas

At LEARN, we explore innovative solutions for urban challenges in Eastern Africa and beyond.

Urban Resilience
A focus on urban resilience is important for Africa, which is experiencing unprecedented urbanization rates.
Cities & Climate Change
Cities make a substantial contribution to climate change by accounting for over 70% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Informality
Informality is a fundamental attribute of our global economy. It is estimated that 61.5% of the global population engage in informal work, thereby establishing informal employment as a prevailing practice.
Art, Culture & Heritage
LEARN is driven by a profound belief in the transformative power of art, culture, and heritage in shaping vibrant and inclusive urban landscapes.
Digitalization
Digitalisation in Africa encompasses a spectrum of initiatives and interventions, ranging from the deployment of smart infrastructure and the expansion of digital connectivity to the proliferation of e-governance platforms and the emergence of tech-driven innovation hubs.

Our Partners

Partnership is at the heart of our work. We collaborate closely with a diverse range of partners—leveraging expertise, experiences, skills, capacities, resources, networks, and geographic locations—to achieve meaningful impact. Our partnerships span from local community-based organizations to government bodies and international research institutions.

Learn Membership

LEARN brings together academics, policymakers, and civil society actors from (Eastern) Africa and The Netherlands, with the primary focus of fostering the coproduction of actionable, practical, and impactful urban research in Africa.

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Contact Us!

No. MK088, Ushindi West Avenue, Mukuyu Rd (Mukuyu West Wing), Thome 1 Nairobi, Kenya

Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm